Apparatus for extracting wax from plants.



F. THATOHBR.

APPARATUS FOR EXTRAOTING' WAX FROM PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR, 14, 1911, 1,056,378

Fatented Mar. 18, 1 913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Eiwuwwtoz J$wniffiaibar Mott H1 13 F. THATGHER;

APPARATUS FOR EXTEAOTING WAX FROM PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1911., Patented M81. 18, 1913 2 gums-SHEET 2.

UNITED SlTES FRANK THATGHEE OF EL PASO, TEXAS.

APPARATUS F93 EXTBJLOTING "WAX FROM PLANTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

."latented llllaix 18, 1913.

Application filed March 14, 1911. Serial No. 614,314.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK THATOHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful Improvement-s in Apparatus for Extracting Waxfrom Plants, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for extracting wax from thecandelilla plant and other species of plants of the class ill'g/rz'ca(Lin).

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus whereby thematerial may be subjected to a series of successive extractions by theuse of a quantity of solvent which is employed over and over again untilall the waxes and oils are extracted from the material, and whereby acontinuous auto matic process may be carried out in an cco-' nomicalmanner and with a minimum amount of care and attention.

The invention consists of the features construction, combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is adiagrami'natic elevation of an extracting apparatus embodying my i11-vcntion. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through one of the digesters andthe siphon connected therewith. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectionon the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. is a detail vertical section through thelower end of one of the siphon iteeders.

Referring to the drawings. 1 designates a storage tank or other suitablesource of supply for the solvent to be employed, which tank is incommunication through a pipe 2 with a vaporizer 3. said pipe having a.controlling valve 4. The vaporizer comprises a vessel or tank containinga steam heating coil 5 provided with a valved inlet (3 and a valvedoutlet 7. The tank is also provided with a thermometer 8, whereby thetemperature of its contents may be determined at any time, and with agage glass 9, for indi cating the level of the liquid contents there in.At one end of the tank is an outlet pipe having a valve 11, throughwhich pipe any portion of the contents of the tank may be drawn oll'whenever it is desired to determine the condition thereof. The tank 3comnumicates at its bottom through a drawotl pipe 12- having a.controlling valve 13 with a, separator tank or vessel let containing asteam heating coil 15 having a steam inlet communication 16 and a steamoutlet or exhaust connection 1.7, said tank also being provided with adraw-ofi pipe '18 having a valvel9, whereby the oil and wax separatedtherein from the solvent may be discharged.

Arranged at a suitable elevation above the vaporizer is a condenser 20comprising a vessel containing a condenser coil 21 eommunicating at itsinlet end through a main vapor flow pipe with the vaporizer and at itsoutlet or discharge end with a delivery pipe 253. The condenser isprovided with a water inlet 2-l and a water outlet 25, whereby coldwater may be continuously circulted therethrough to cool the coil andits contents and effectthe condensation of the solvent. Leading from thedelivery pipe 23 to the storage tank or source of supply 1 is aconducting pipe 26 having a controlling valve 27', through which pipethe condensed solvent may be conducted back to the source of supply whendesired.

In the practical operation of the appara tus and carrying out of theprocess, I employ one or more digesters 28, two being shown in'thepresent instance, arranged at an intermediate level between thevaporizer and condenser. Each of these digesters comprises an ordinarytank or vessel containing a steam heating coil 29 provided with a valvedsteam inlet 30, and a valved steam outlet 31. At the top of eachdigester is a charging inlet 32, having a suitable door or closure,through which inlet the plant, in a suitable divided or comminutedcondition, is introduced. The bottom of each digester is preferably ofconical form and provided with an outlet 33 for the dis charge of therefuse material, which outlet is normally covered by a suitable closure.

Leading from the main vapor flow pipe 22 to the top of each digester isa vapor con.- ducting pipe 3 containing a controlling valve 35, throughwhich pipe the vapor liberated by the solvent in the digester may flowto the main vapor flow pipe and thence to the condenser :torliquefaction, the valves allowing either pipe to be thrown into and outof operation at will. A conducting pipe 36 containing a controllingvalve 37 connects the upper portion of each digester with the pipe 23for thesupply of liquefied solvent from the condenser to each digester,said valves 87 permitting either digester to be cut out of communicationwith the oa ers enser and digester, a valved vapor ""g connectionbetween the digester n vapor conducting pipe, a separator a valvedcommunication with the vaporizer, and a vapor conducting pipe leadingsaid separator to said main vapor conducting pipe.

apparatus of the character described comprising a vaporizer, acondenser, a main vapor feed pipe leading from the vaporizer to thecondenser, a digester, a siphon feed connection between the digester andvaporizer, a valved connection between the condenser'and digester, avalved vapor conducting connection between the digester and. main vaporconducting pipe, a sepahaving a valved communication with the vaporizer,a coil in said separator having valved terminals extending out atopposite ends thereof, and a vapor conducting pipe leading from saidseparator to said main conducting pipe.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a vaporizer, acondenser, a pair of digesters, a main vapor pipe leadfrom the vaporizerto the condenser, valved vapor conducting pipes leading from t digestersto said main vapor pipe, a feed e pipe leading from the condenser,valved "3,

4 connected therewith and leading to the respective digcsters, aseparator having a valve; connection with the vaporizer, a siphon feedconnection between each digcster and'the vaporizer, a valved bypassconnection between the lower ends of the of each siphon "teed device,and a vapor pipe leading from the separator to said main vapor pipe.

An apparatus of the character described comprising a vaporizer, acondenser,

a solvent feed pipe leading from the condenser, a solvent reservoir,valved conducting pipes leading respectively from the reservoir to thevaporizer and solvent feed pipe, a pair of digesters, siphon feedconnections between the same and the vaporizer,

each of said siphon feed connections having a valved bypass between thelower ends or the legs thereof, valved conducting pipes leadingfI'OIll'tllG solvent feed pipe to the digesters, a separator in valvedcommunication with the vaporizer, a main vapor pipe leading from thevaporizer to the condenser, valved branch pipes leading from said 'Inainvapor pipeto the digesters, and a vapor pipe connecting the separatorwith said main vapor pipe.

5. An apparatus for extracting wax from the candelilla and similarplants comprising a vaporizer, a condenser, a main vapor feed pipeleading from the vaporizer to the condenser, a digester, a valvedsolvent supply pipe connected with the top thereof, a siphon arrangedalongside said digester, a valved pipe connecting the inlet leg of saidsiphon with the bottom of the digester, a valved pipe connecting thelower ends of the legs of the siphon with each other, the outlet leg ofsaid siphon being in communication with the vaporizer, a separatorarranged below and having a valved connection with the vaporizer, a coilin said separator having valved terminals extending outwardly atopposite ends thereof, and a vapor conducting pipe leading from saidseparator .to sai main vapor teed pipe.

In testimony whereof I athx my sn 'nature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK THATCHER.

lVitnesses v D. F. SULLIVAN, W.. H. Bnoons.

